Israeli Settler Movement Grows Stronger
Israeli Settler Movement Grows Stronger
Introduction
In April 2026, a group called Nachala had a rally near Gaza. They want Jewish people to live in Gaza again. Gaza has about two million Palestinians. The rally happened during a war and a ceasefire. The Israeli government is now more right-wing. The US president Donald Trump supports this.
Main Body
At the rally, several hundred people came. Some had guns. A speaker named Hadar Bar-Chai said the fence will come down. Jews will live in Gaza again. He talked about a destroyed city called Beit Hanoun. It will become a neighborhood of the Israeli city Sderot. The march went along the fence. An Israeli drone watched from above. Nachala started after Israel left Gaza in 2005. The settler movement was once small. Now it has power in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu''s government. Important ministers are settlers. On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel. 1,200 Israelis died. 251 people were taken as hostages. The war that followed killed over 70,000 Palestinians. The Israeli army now controls 53% of Gaza. The ceasefire is still in place. The settler movement also wants more land in the West Bank. The settler population grew from 250,000 to over 730,000. New outposts are built. Some are illegal under Israeli law. Violence is increasing. In March 2026, settlers attacked a Palestinian village called Qaryut. They killed two brothers, Mohammed and Fahim Moammar. Another brother, Jamil, was hurt. The attack happened after settlers built a road near the family''s olive trees. Israeli soldiers from a special unit also attacked a CNN news team. Palestinian leaders say Israel acts without punishment. The US supports Israel. In southern Lebanon, Israel made a security zone. It is 5 to 10 kilometers inside Lebanon. People from 55 villages cannot go back home. Settlers tried to enter Lebanon in December 2025 and February 2026. The army stopped them. A settler leader named Daniella Weiss said she has families ready to move into Gaza. She wants a Gaza with over one million Jews and no Palestinians. She also wants settlements in Lebanon and Syria. The US ambassador Mike Huckabee supports Israeli control over part of the West Bank. He said Israel could take all of it. President Trump lifted sanctions on a settler group called Hilltop Youth. Some Israelis have different ideas. Hanna Barag said she does not recognize Israel anymore. She calls it an apartheid state. She thinks the far right became powerful because Netanyahu needs their support to avoid his trial. Also, the trauma of October 7 helped them. Rachel Ben Dor was part of a group that helped Israel leave Lebanon in 2000. She is sad that Israeli soldiers are back in southern Lebanon. She said the peace left might even support Netanyahu to stop the far right. A pollster named Mitchell Barak said Israeli society is now split between the right and the further right. Young people want a strong, expansionist security policy.
Conclusion
The settler movement feels powerful. It has support from the US government. It wants more land in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. Some people in Israel oppose this. The peace group is smaller now. Many countries criticize the settlers. But the movement keeps growing because of the current government and the wars. The situation can get worse. Israel continues its military actions and building settlements.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Israeli Settler Movement Gains Strength Amid Regional Conflicts and U.S. Support
Introduction
In April 2026, a rally near the Gaza border, organized by the hardline group Nachala, showed the growing power of the Israeli settler movement. Speakers, including activist Hadar Bar-Chai, called for the return of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, which is currently home to about two million Palestinians. The event took place during ongoing military operations, a fragile ceasefire, and a broader political shift in Israel toward the far right, supported by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Main Body
The rally, held at the "Black Arrow" site near the Gaza border, attracted several hundred people, some carrying guns. Bar-Chai stated that the border fence would be removed and that Jews would again live in Gaza. He specifically mentioned the destroyed city of Beit Hanoun as a future neighborhood of the Israeli city of Sderot. The march moved along the fence while an Israeli drone watched from above. The event was organized by Nachala, a group founded after Israel''s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. The settler movement, once seen as a fringe element, now holds important positions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu''s coalition government. These include Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. This political change followed the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages. The resulting war has left over 70,000 Palestinians dead, according to reports, and the Israeli military controls 53% of the Gaza Strip under the current ceasefire terms. The settler movement''s goals go beyond Gaza. In the West Bank, the settler population has grown from 250,000 at the time of the Oslo Accords to more than 730,000 today. New outposts, often illegal under Israeli law, are being quickly connected to infrastructure and given official status. Violence has increased: in March 2026, settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qaryut, killing two brothers, Mohammed and Fahim Moammar, and injuring a third, Jamil. The attack happened after settlers built a road on land next to the family''s olive grove. In a separate incident, Israeli soldiers from an ultra-Orthodox unit reportedly assaulted a CNN crew. Palestinian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Omar Awadallah, claimed that Israel acts without fear of punishment, enabled by U.S. support. In southern Lebanon, Israel has created a security zone that extends 5 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, preventing the return of residents from 55 villages. Settlers tried to cross into Lebanon in December 2025 and February 2026 but were stopped by the military. Daniella Weiss, a prominent settler leader sanctioned by Canada, stated that she has families ready to move into Gaza and imagines a territory with over a million Jews and no Palestinians. She also expressed plans for settlement in Lebanon and Syria. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a self-described Christian Zionist, has supported Israeli control over Area C of the West Bank and suggested that Israel could declare sovereignty over the entire territory. The Trump administration lifted sanctions on the Hilltop Youth group, which had been imposed by the Biden administration. Different views within Israel were also clear. Hanna Barag, a co-founder of the monitoring group Machsom Watch, said she no longer recognizes the Israel of her youth and described the current state as an "apartheid" regime. She argued that the far right''s rise is due to Netanyahu''s need for coalition partners to avoid his corruption trial, combined with the trauma of October 7. Rachel Ben Dor, a former activist with the Four Mothers group that successfully pushed for Israel''s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, expressed shock at the return of Israeli troops to southern Lebanon. She suggested that the pro-peace left might even support Netanyahu to prevent the far right from gaining more power. Pollster Mitchell Barak noted that Israeli society is now divided between the right and the further right, with younger voters favoring a strong, expansionist security policy.
Conclusion
The settler movement, encouraged by its political influence and U.S. support, is pursuing a plan to expand territory in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. Although the movement faces opposition from a weakened peace camp at home and international criticism, its momentum seems to be maintained by the current political alignment and ongoing regional conflicts. The situation remains uncertain, with the possibility of further escalation as Israel continues military operations and settlement construction.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Israeli Settler Movement Gains Momentum Amid Regional Conflicts and U.S. Support
Introduction
A rally near the Gaza border in April 2026, organized by the hardline group Nachala, demonstrated the growing influence of the Israeli settler movement. Speakers, including activist Hadar Bar-Chai, called for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, which is currently home to approximately two million Palestinians. The event occurred against a backdrop of ongoing military operations, a fragile ceasefire, and a broader political shift in Israel toward the far right, supported by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Main Body
The rally, held at the ''Black Arrow'' site near the Gaza perimeter, drew several hundred participants, some carrying firearms. Bar-Chai stated that the border fence would be removed and that Jews would again reside in Gaza, specifically referencing the destroyed city of Beit Hanoun as a future neighborhood of the Israeli city of Sderot. The march proceeded along the fence under the surveillance of an Israeli drone. The event was organized by Nachala, a group founded after Israel''s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. The settler movement, once considered a fringe element, now holds key positions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu''s coalition government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. This political realignment followed the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages. The subsequent war has left over 70,000 Palestinians dead, according to reports, and the Israeli military controls 53% of the Gaza Strip under the current ceasefire terms. The settler movement''s ambitions extend beyond Gaza. In the West Bank, the settler population has grown from 250,000 at the time of the Oslo Accords to more than 730,000 today. New outposts, often illegal under Israeli law, are being rapidly connected to infrastructure and granted official status. Violence has escalated: in March 2026, settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qaryut, killing two brothers, Mohammed and Fahim Moammar, and injuring a third, Jamil. The attack followed the construction of a road by settlers on land adjacent to the family''s olive grove. Israeli soldiers from an ultra-Orthodox unit were reported to have assaulted a CNN crew in a separate incident. Palestinian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Omar Awadallah, described Israel as acting with impunity, enabled by U.S. support. In southern Lebanon, Israel has established a security zone extending 5 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, preventing the return of residents from 55 villages. Settlers attempted to cross into Lebanon in December 2025 and February 2026 but were turned back by the military. Daniella Weiss, a prominent settler leader sanctioned by Canada, stated that she has families ready to move into Gaza and envisions a territory populated by over a million Jews with no Palestinians. She also expressed intentions for settlement in Lebanon and Syria. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a self-described Christian Zionist, has endorsed Israeli control over Area C of the West Bank and suggested that Israel could declare sovereignty over the entire territory. The Trump administration lifted sanctions on the Hilltop Youth group, which had been imposed by the Biden administration. Differing perspectives within Israel were also evident. Hanna Barag, a co-founder of the monitoring group Machsom Watch, stated that she no longer recognizes the Israel of her youth, describing the current state as an ''apartheid'' regime. She attributed the far right''s ascendancy to Netanyahu''s need for coalition partners to avoid his corruption trial, combined with the trauma of October 7. Rachel Ben Dor, a former activist with the Four Mothers group that successfully lobbied for Israel''s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, expressed dismay at the return of Israeli troops to southern Lebanon. She suggested that the pro-peace left might even support Netanyahu to prevent the far right from gaining more power. Pollster Mitchell Barak noted that Israeli society is now divided between the right and the further right, with younger voters favoring a strong, expansionist security policy.
Conclusion
The settler movement, emboldened by its political influence and U.S. support, is pursuing an agenda of territorial expansion in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. While the movement faces domestic opposition from a diminished peace camp and international criticism, its momentum appears sustained by the current political alignment and the ongoing regional conflicts. The situation remains fluid, with the potential for further escalation as Israel continues military operations and settlement construction.